I suppose it is unlikely anyone would be surprised if I told you the last week was simply amazing. Among other things, I have found myself introduced a number of times to groups of people...the introduction is often rather lengthy and I have not understood much of anything said (not uncommon for me even in English!}...except throughout these speeches I have heard the word "Papa". The response has often been a knowing nod from the community.
Yesterday Sue and I were on our way home from a walk when we encountered a small family outside their home. I watched as a small child went from happy, playful, smiling and confident to terrified in only a moment. Tears streamed down his face as he struggled to find the comfort of his mother's arms. Through the screams I could make out the word "mzungu" repeatedly. I had heard the word is an unflattering identification of white people and resolved to see what wikepedia said about it when I got home.
Turns out that "mzumgu" is classically not unflattering...in some sense. It means "those who run around in circles" as well as those who bring things and are responsible. The running thing has to do with traders who came and went with no seeming explanation...but brought good things and carried responsibility. Well, we all know that eventually the races got that as well as a lot else really screwed up...assuming we ever had it right. As for me, it seems like if the shoe fits you wear it. I have seen enough photographs of these beautiful people and me to display the obvious...I simply am not as beautiful as they and my washed out white skin is anything but beautiful!
Today is still Mother's Day in USA. Happy Mother's Day, Mom, and all you other wonderful people of both gender who have mothered me over the past many years. We do tend to forget how very interdependent we all are on each other. All races, genders, ages, religions, strengths, weaknesses, intelligences, etc., huh? I guess love must mean at the very least we set aside our own personal bead on all those things and assume the best in each other at least for this moment. Well, that's enough preaching for one day...I warned you at the beginning of this I didn't know what I was doing with the blog thing! Those who know me well know eventually I would spring with a sermon. Sorry!
Papa Mzungu
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I love what you both are doing with this Blog...thank you for sharing your experiences with me...it truly is touching my heart!!!
ReplyDeleteYour Friend and brother Gary
Doug and Sue
ReplyDeleteJust caught up on your posts! What a good gift to give your friends and family at home, and, yourselves when you return...you are capturing the experiences well. I can really picture you both in these settings!
Blessings
Kelly Bean
I remember being a mzungu during my trip to Kenya. Now we're in Haiti and we're blan. A different name, but the same idea: rich, white foreigners. There's no use in worrying about it, though. It's more just a statement of fact, and there isn't anything we can do to cover up the fact that we're white. All we can hope for is that if we treat people the way we want to be treated, we and they will see past that.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, it seems to me like you have this blog thing figured out.
Peter